There’s theater, with a slew of thriving venues that stage some of the finest regional productions in the U.S. And there’s music—bars and recording studios have been hopping since His Purpleness, the artist formerly known as Prince, burst out of the First Avenue club in the 1980s.

There’s even a way to beat the winter cold—many of the downtown buildings and attractions are connected by Skyways that can get you from place to place without risking frostbite. We think there’s a better way to avoid the chill, however: Go during the summer when you can enjoy a cruise on the Mississippi, a leisurely stroll along Summit Avenue in St. Paul and select fresh produce at a streetside fruit and vegetable stand in Minneapolis. (We’re used to these stands in the country, but in the heart of downtown? It’s something we never expected.)

One thing most people will expect out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is the huge Mall of America: It has received a lot of attention since opening in the early 1990s. The mall is located in suburban Bloomington, and it is big—the biggest in the U.S., in fact. It has three full levels’ worth of stores—though we can’t say we came across many items that we couldn’t find in other malls.

The real attraction is what you can do while you’re not shopping: There’s an amusement park—Knott’s Camp Snoopy—that’s based on the cartoons of Minnesota native Charles Schultz. More than 50 rides zoom around indoors, including a roller coaster (though we found it less thrilling than the outdoor variety). The UnderWater World aquarium contains species native to the Minnesota area and more exotic saltwater varieties. The highlight is the moving walkway that transports you through a see-through tunnel as sharks, stingrays and other creatures swim above you.

Though the mall draws a lot of people to the area, we have to confess that we prefer spending our time in pursuits that have a bit more local flavor. One area where the Cities distinguish themselves is in their theater scene, which has become a big attraction for residents and visitors alike.

Minneapolis has the Guthrie Theater, home of one of the nation’s best regional repertory companies. They produce Broadway—or better—quality productions year round, and we think viewing one is a must-do (last-minute tickets are sometimes available).

The Hennepin Avenue Theatre District in Minneapolis contains three venues: the historic State and Orpheum Theatres (touring Broadway shows and concerts) and the Hey City Theater (off-Broadway comedies). Just down the street, in the old Masonic Temple, is the Hennepin Center for the Arts, which offers arts-related classes in addition to performances. Its plays tend more toward the avant garde, and dance concerts are also staged.

For first-class dance performances, consult the schedule of the Northrop Auditorium, which hosts some of the world’s most talented companies. The Children’s Theatre Company, near the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, specializes in works for young audiences.

St. Paul has the Ordway Music Theatre, recognized as one of the finest performing-arts facilities in the country. It’s home to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera Company, the Schubert Club and other arts performances in addition to hosting major Broadway shows.

Other St. Paul stages include The Great American History Theatre, which features plays devoted to regional heritage; the Penumbra Theatre, an innovative African-American professional theatrical company; and the Park Square Theater, with its classical repertory. The newly refurbished and newly named Fitzgerald Theater (in honor of F. Scott) is where Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion radio programs are staged on Saturday afternoons (if you plan on attending, make sure the program is in production at the time of your visit).

Two outlying communities also contribute to the theater scene: The Old Log Theater in Excelsior has been presenting Broadway shows and British comedies for more than 50 years, and the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Chanhassen is said to be the largest dinner theater complex in the U.S., containing four separate stages.

Other cultural offerings are also in good supply. In Minneapolis, the Walker Art Center is internationally known for its inventive (and sometimes controversial) exhibits of contemporary art. The sculpture garden outside the art center features Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s witty pop-art fountain. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has an excellent collection of classical art from every continent: We were particularly impressed by the photography collection, with works by Walker Evans, Edward Weston and Alfred Stieglitz, among others. The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum is located on the campus of the University of Minnesota. It specializes in fine arts from the contemporary period and is housed in a building designed by Frank Gehry that appears to be wrapped in tin foil.

While you’re in Minneapolis, be sure to see the American Swedish Institute, a museum dedicated to Swedish heritage and housed in a mansion built in the early 1900s. It contains artifacts from Swedish immigrants, porcelain tile stoves from Sweden and examples of craft work, including wood, glass and textiles. And we really enjoyed our visit to the Minneapolis Grain Exchange (the world’s largest), where you can watch from the gallery as futures are bought and sold. But we still don’t know what to make of the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices at Main Street S.E.—it’s devoted to the history of medical quackery, featuring such instruments as a foot-operated breast enlarger and a prostate gland warmer.

When the sun goes down, head to the Warehouse District, a collection of renovated buildings that now house nightclubs, restaurants, shops and galleries, including Glam Slam, the nightclub and boutique owned by the artist formerly known as Prince.

If you’re in Minneapolis during warm weather, take some time to stroll the streets or one of the many parks with their black-bottomed lakes. One of the best is Minnehaha Falls, a park dedicated to Longfellow’s Indian heroine.

Just across the river, St. Paul has declared a portion of downtown as the Cultural Corridor, extending from the State Capitol to the Mississippi. The area includes more than a dozen cultural organizations. The highlight is the Minnesota Historical Society’s History Center, a $70 million facility that showcases the state’s history in nearly every form—from artwork and books to photographs and archaeological items. (The building itself has won design awards.) Another important site in the corridor is the State Capitol. We suggest you take a tour, but, regardless, don’t miss the gilded statue, The Progress of the State.

For more historical architecture, head over to Summit Avenue. In the Gilded Age of the late 1800s, St. Paul’s grandees took up residence along and around this street. There are some gorgeous mansions that should be seen, including what’s said to be the largest mansion in the Midwest, the James J. Hill House. While at the house, pick up a map for the walking tour of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s St. Paul. The author of The Great Gatsby grew up in this area and wrote his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in an apartment at 599 Summit Avenue.

Another lovely mansion is the Alexander Ramsey House, a three-story Victorian building. Inside, guides in period costumes lead visitors through the interesting story of the first territorial governor of Minnesota and his family. At the intersection of Summit and Selby (with a nice view of St. Paul’s statehouse) is the great Cathedral of St. Paul, which was modeled after St. Peter’s in Vatican City. Though it is much smaller than the original, it’s still an impressive sight.

Though there’s plenty of Victorian elegance in St. Paul, there’s also a seamier side to the city’s past. In the 1930s, it became the favorite getaway for notorious criminals such as John Dillinger and Ma Barker. Why St. Paul? Because the local police agreed to keep their hands off the gangsters so long as the bad guys (and girls) behaved themselves while in town. (Needless to say, a little money changed hands in working out this agreement.) If you’re interested in the underworld-related spots in St. Paul, St. Paul Gangster Tours offers bus outings that operate every Saturday in the warm-weather months, less frequently in the winter. Phone 612-292-1220 for more information.

One criminal-related sight you can see on your own is the Landmark Center, downtown, where Ma Barker and her cronies were eventually brought to justice (it served as a federal court at the time). The center is a splendid neo-Romanesque castle from the turn of the century that now houses the Minnesota Museum of American Art (works by past and contemporary U.S. artists).

After your architectural tour of the city, you might want to stroll around Como Park and Zoo—it’s St. Paul’s largest park, with a lake, a golf course, a conservatory, a lovely Japanese garden and a wonderful zoo (the giraffes seemed really content the last time we were there, but the polar bears were bored).

You’ll also want to save time for the Science Museum of Minnesota. It contains highly regarded exhibits on natural science and technology and a theater with one of the world’s largest Omnimax screens. The Minnesota Children’s Museum, now in its new downtown St. Paul location on 7th Street, includes a special play space for babies and excellent traveling exhibits. The Twin City Model Railroad Club, at Bandana Square, has an impressive collection of tracks and trains.

You might wrap up the day with a cruise on one of St. Paul’s three stern-wheelers—the Jonathan Padelford, the Harriett Bishop and the Josiah Snelling: They ply the Mississippi May-September. Minneapolis has its own stern-wheelers, the Anson Northrup and the Bessie Northrup, that go through the first lock on the Mississippi and past the city’s skyline.

Back on shore, historic Fort Snelling is a massive stone fortress that sits at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, at the southern boundary of the two cities. The fort was established in 1819 to protect fur traders from warring Indians, and the towns grew up in its wake. Today, activities continue on as if it were still the early 1800s: Military drills are conducted by guides in period costumes and blacksmith, carpentry and crafts demonstrations take place.

Farther south is Apple Valley, home of the Minnesota Zoo. This rambling 500-acre/200-hectare zoo is regarded as one of the nation’s best and was one of the first to provide the animals with large natural habitats. Don’t miss the Discovery Bay Marine and Shark Exhibit, where you can get a firsthand look at some mean-looking sharks. The zoo has an especially noteworthy collection of large northern predators (Siberian tigers, snow leopards and mountain lions) as well as a cross-country ski trail that heads through the habitats of musk oxen and caribou in the winter. (We prefer visiting in spring and autumn, when the natural setting is especially beautiful.) If you tire of walking the extensive grounds, take the all-weather monorail for a bird’s-eye view of the zoo.

The Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee, southwest of the Cities, is great fun—all the rides you can handle, including three different roller coasters, for the price of one admission. (We found the newest coaster, Wild Thing, to be a real gut wrencher, but the old wooden coaster was pure old-fashioned fun.) With an area dedicated to the friendly Berenstain Bears, this park is sure to delight young children.

Day-trip outings around Minneapolis and St. Paul include a 90-minute drive to Lake Pepin, a relatively undiscovered lake area. Or head to the historic town of Stillwater, located just east of St. Paul on the scenic St. Croix River.

If you like to gamble, make a day or evening trip to one of the casinos operated by Minnesota’s Native American tribes. Two of the state’s larger establishments are Grand Casino Mille Lacs (Mille Lacs) and Grand Casino Hinckley (Hinckley). Both are about 70 mi/115 km north of the Cities. The two casinos, owned by the Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibwe Indian Tribe, offer high-stakes gaming, slot machines, food and entertainment. Gaming also is offered at Mystic Lake Casino, about 20 mi/32 km south of Minneapolis in Prior Lake, and at the Treasure Island Casino, about 45 mi/70 km southeast of St. Paul in Red Wing. Transportation is available from the Cities to the casinos.

Festivals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area include the Winter Carnival in St. Paul (spectacular ice palaces, competitions, entertainment, performances—January-February); the American Craft Expo in Minneapolis (April); the Festival of Nations in St. Paul (the state’s largest folk-culture celebration, with more than 75 ethnic groups represented—April); Taste of Minnesota in St. Paul (food, street festival—July); Viennese Sommerfest in Minneapolis (classical music—July); Aquatennial in Minneapolis (water sports, entertainment—July); the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul (August); and the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee (weekends from mid August to the end of September).

Get a copy of the Minnesota Explorer, the Minnesota Office of Tourism’s calendar of events (published three times a year), to see what else is on while you’re in the area. Another free and readily available publication with events information is the Minneapolis Skyway News, which has a weekly pull-out calendar section. Or pick up the Twin Cities Reader or City Pages, both of which have good listings sections.